Covid-19 and the impact on Southern European tourism: Portugal as a case study The tourism industry was the first sector to be affected by the measures implemented as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The effects were immediate and dramatic. The EU’s commission for economy declared on May 5th that the bloc had entered the deepest economic recession in its history. Southern European countries...

Government and Covid-19: how responsible are politicians for our poor Coronavirus outcomes? Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay. This article was written after my own lengthy fight, which is still ongoing, with Covid-19 and its often-dramatic consequences. My experiences and interactions with several levels of care (local GP “surgery”, hospital, ambulance services) in the UK, as a result of...

THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE We live in absolutely unprecedented times. Never has the world known a hidden killer that has kept billions of people indoors, truncated economic activity and sparked such a spike in volunteerism. Any analysis of the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic places Travel and Tourism at the top of the list of sectors of economic activity most likely to be impacted by this latest...

THE SUCCESS OF THE GOLDEN VISA PROGRAMME Golden Visa investments represent more than €4 billion into the Portuguese economy. This influx of capital has a direct correlation to the massive inflation in house prices in areas such as Lisbon and Porto, where the majority of the GV investment is concentrated. The Golden Visa program in Portugal has been a success when measured by total investment,...

As someone who grew up in South Africa, I watched with anticipation and some sense of pride as the Springboks or the “Bokke”, pulled off a great victory to take the trophy home. But the naturally ebullient and optimistic feeling after a victory of such proportions was short-lived. The victory would, knowing the way the South African population react emotively to such events, convince many people that...

TAX-free Retirement in the Heart of Europe   Anyone who is nearing or at retirement age wants to protect his or her hard-earned pension. What better way to do this than via tax-free retirement? Many want to do this in a safe country with a warm climate, friendly people and a great lifestyle. And in a region voted Europe’s best golfing destination by the World Travel Awards. Now one country has...

LONG-TERM RENTALS: THE FUTURE OF THE RENTAL MARKET IN PORTUGAL? As recently as two years ago, it was unquestionable that Portugal provided Europe’s best investment destination. A growing economy, falling unemployment, a recovering real estate market, an investment surge in real estate driven primarily by the very successful Golden Visa program, a wave of (mostly) wealthy foreign retiree immigration...

Live Like A King For Less - Budget Comparisons The cost to live in Portugal is generally among the lowest in Western Europe. Some items, such as fuel (around €1.30/ liter or about US$5/gallon), electricity, second hand cars (Ford Focus 2012 diesel between €12,000 and €20,000, Audi A4 Avant diesel starting at €40,000) and electronic items such as appliances and technology, are much more expensive...

POST-BREXIT SOLUTIONS TO RETENTION OF EU RIGHTS: HEALTH, TRAVEL AND PENSION   As the Brexit discussion and debate in the UK continues to rage, with little clarity as to the practical implications of the country’s departure from the EU, many people simply want to understand what this means in terms of the everyday aspects of their lives, we are going to have a look to the post-brexit scenario. Over...

Planning for the Golden Years: the modern-day “Gold” rush in the California of Europe   Anyone who is nearing or at retirement age wants to protect his or her hard-earned pension. Many want to do this in a safe country with a warm climate, friendly people and a great lifestyle. Equally, many people from outside Europe aspire to have free access to, or live on, the “Old Continent”. As do...